RFA, Application Components and Process, & FAQs
If you have any questions or concerns, or if you need assistance with your application, please contact the K12 Training Award program team at KL2Application@catalyst.harvard.edu.
RFA Details
The K12 Training Award (formerly KL2/CMeRIT) provides two years of salary support at 75% of the awardee’s institutional salary base, up to the K12 NIH salary cap of $160,000 (i.e., $120,000 would be covered). Surgeons may request salary support of between 50% and 75%. Educational programs within Harvard Catalyst will be tuition-free. Funding for awardees begins October 1, 2024.
The K12 Training Award program provides advanced training in clinical and translational research to fellows and junior faculty from all health professions, including medicine, dentistry, and nursing. Awardees will pursue a mentored research project in their area of expertise, and it is expected that the research performed within the K12 Training Award program will provide the basis for a subsequent NIH award (e.g., K23, K08, or R01).
The K12 Training Award program will help scholars to advance their clinical and translational (c/t) research, overseen by a primary mentor (and an optional co-mentor) and further enhanced by a dedicated Mentorship Advisory Committee, which will be formed once the award period has commenced. Each awardee will work with their mentor to develop and execute a work plan for their research project. Mentors must be accomplished investigators in clinical and translational research and have a track record of success in training new investigators and fostering their success as independent, NIH-funded, researchers.
Training will include courses and programs, such as those found in Learn Research and the monthly mandatory Translate Together group meetings. These courses and programs will cover the broad translational spectrum and will focus on developing innovative solutions that improve human health. The program also offers individualized career development plans, leadership training, visibility through participation in the national CTSA Visiting Scholar Program, and mentor / mentee training, to ensure the success of each scholar as a translational scientist as envisioned by NCATS.
The K12 Training Award program requires a significant time commitment and dedication, including, for example, mandatory monthly Translate Together meetings, participation in the Mentor Advisory Committee process (for first-year awardees), and periodic one-on-one meetings with the program PI. Awardees are expected to meet these requirements if selected for funding.
We are committed to increasing diversity in the research workforce. Therefore, we strongly encourage applicants from underrepresented minorities in medicine (URiM) backgrounds.
We encourage applicants from all health disciplines who meet the following criteria:
- Must be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident holding a green card by the application deadline of May 24, 2024 (those with other visa status are not eligible to apply due to NIH rules for this grant mechanism).
- Must have a research or health professional doctoral degree.
- Must hold a full-time faculty position at one or more Harvard/Harvard-affiliated institution(s), with an HMS or HSPH appointment, by the time the award commences. Fellows who are on the cusp of their first faculty position may still apply, but will be asked to provide written verification of their pending faculty appointment. (Please note that this pending appointment must be irrespective of the outcome of the application.)
- Applicants with a current faculty appointment must be within the first three years of their appointment. The three-year limit will include appointments at all previous and current institutions. If the third year of your first faculty appointment ends prior to July 1, 2024, your application will not be considered.
- For the purposes of this application, time spent on leave (personal, parental, medical, etc.) does not count as part of an appointment period. If you believe this circumstance may be relevant to your application, please e-mail us for guidance and instructions.
- Must be able to commit 75% of professional effort to the program, except for surgeons, who may be eligible to commit as little as 50% of time.
- Must ensure that the remaining salary support (not provided by the K12 grant) will come from a non-federal source.
- Must not be or have been a principal investigator on an NIH R01, or a project leader on a subproject of a Program Project (P01), Center (P50, P60, U54), mentored career development grant (K23, K08, K01, etc.), or equivalent non-PHS peer-reviewed research grants that are more than $100,000 in direct costs per year.
- At the time this application is submitted and under review (from June 15 to the end of July) must not have a current application for another mentored K award (e.g., K23, K08) submitted, or under review. For further clarification, please see the NIH website.
- Must be pursuing a career path in c/t research.
- Must propose a c/t research project.
Two years. Specifically, from October 1, 2024 through September 30, 2026.
RFA Announcement: March 18, 2024
Applications Due: May 24, 2024 (6:00pm EST)
Endorsements Due: June 14, 2024 (6:00pm EST)
Review Process: June 15-Late July 2024
Funding Decisions Announced: Early to Mid-August, 2024
Funding Start Date: October 1, 2024
Application Components and Process
The K12 Training Award application is available online. The application includes the following components:
- Applicant Information
- NIH Biosketch
- Statement (Letter) of Intent
- Research Proposal
- Endorsement Information
- Division Chief/Department Attestation
- Primary Mentor Letter
- Secondary Mentor Letter (Optional)
Applicants will be asked to provide the following information:
- Full Name
- Project Title
- Email Address
- Degree(s)
- Research Interests
- Position / Rank
- Citizenship Status
- Demographic Information
- Primary Institution and Department
- Work Contact Information
Applicants will be asked to provide a Biographical Sketch (also referred to as a biosketch) utilizing the most recent NIH format.
Please save a PDF copy of your completed file as follows: LastName_Biosketch.
You will be asked to upload your completed file as part of your online application. Please have the completed file ready when you begin the application process.
Applicants will be asked to submit a Statement (or Letter) of Intent (SOI), signed by the applicant’s institutional official.
Please work with your department’s grants manager, or administrative official, to submit the application materials for an internal review. After your internal review is completed (please plan accordingly and allow sufficient time for this process to take place), you will be provided with the signed form.
When completing your Statement of Intent (SOI), you may include the following details:
Period of Performance: 2 years (10/1/2024 through 9/30/2026)
Prime Site: Harvard Medical School (HMS)
Prime PI: Karen K. Miller, MD
Direct Cost Total per Year:
- 75% of Salary Base up to the NIH Cap of $160,000 (i.e., 75% of up to $160,000, a maximum of $120,000 per year)
- Applicable Fringe Benefits
- Indirect costs (or F&A) of 8%
- $10,000 in Research Support
Save a PDF copy of the completed SOI form as follows: LastName_SOI.
You will be asked to upload the file as part of your online application. Please have the completed file ready when you begin the application process.
Applicants will be asked to provide the information detailed in Sections A through H below and should download and utilize the template document “Research Proposal” [Word document].
Section A: What is the public health problem you are addressing and why is it important? Response limited to 400 words.
Section B: Provide a summary of your previous research experience. Particularly useful would be a summary of a completed project that has been submitted for publication or has been published. Response limited to 400 words.
Section C: Provide a summary of your previous formal educational activities. If you have participated in a degree program in addition to or instead of a doctorate degree, please provide a brief description of the program’s objectives. If you have taken previous formal course work relevant to clinical and translational research, provide a brief description of each course. Response limited to 200 words.
Section D: Describe the proposed educational component of your research program, how it will enhance your research trajectory and how it is related to your proposed project. Response limited to 200 words.
Section E: Please provide a general outline of the research project in which you will participate during the tenure of your involvement in the K12 Training Award program. Please provide as much detail as possible within the word limit, including background/significance, hypothesis, specific aims, methods, statistics, and potential pitfalls. Response limited to 1,250 words. Up to a total of four tables/figures may be included.
Section F: What were the reasons for your mentor selection(s)? Responses limited to 150 words.
Section G: Describe your short-term and long-term career goals. Responses limited to 200 words.
Section H: Please include a brief statement on the clinical translational significance of your research project. Responses limited to 100 words.
Please be sure to adhere to the word count for each of the Research Proposal sections. Circumventing the word limit by using lengthy figure legends and similar strategies is highly discouraged and may adversely affect your chances of funding.
Lastly, please save a PDF copy of your completed file as follows: LastName_Research Proposal.
You will be asked to upload this file as part of your online application. Please have the completed file ready when you begin the application process.
Applicants will be asked to provide the following information as part of the online application for each of their endorsers (Division Chief/Department Chair, Primary Mentor, and optional Secondary Mentor):
- Name
- Email Address
- Primary institution
- Department/Division
Once you submit your application, the individuals listed in the “Endorsement Information” section of the online application will automatically receive an e-mail with instructions on how to submit their endorsements and materials. Please ensure that the contact information you provide is correct and current.
Please also be sure to inform your endorsers after you have submitted your application so that they know to expect an e-mail from the program and are prepared to submit their attestations and/or letters in a timely manner. These attestations and letters must be received by 6:00pm EST on June 14, 2024. Please note that endorsers and letter writers will not have access to your application materials, and you will not have access to their letters.
Reviewers will assess whether the mentorship letters express commitment to advancing the mentee’s research project, research training and research career, and the likelihood that the program will meet the candidate’s career goals. Additional information with respect to reviewer criteria for these letters is included in the following sections.
The Division Chief / Department Chair identified in the “Endorsement Information” section of the application will be asked to submit an attestation guaranteeing 75% of protected time (or less if applicable, e.g. for surgeons requesting less effort per NIH rules) through the duration of the K12 Training Award for the applicant to pursue the education and research goals of the program, with the remaining percent effort being devoted to an appropriate balance of research, teaching, administrative, and clinical responsibilities. This attestation will be made available online and a link will automatically be sent when the application is submitted.
Please note that, unlike in prior years, we will not be requiring a formal letter from division chiefs / department chairs. Only the online attestation is necessary.
The Primary Mentor identified in the “Endorsement Information” section of the application will be asked to submit a signed letter of recommendation on institutional letterhead and in PDF format. This letter must attest that the remaining salary support (not provided by Harvard Catalyst) will come from a non-federal source through the duration of the K12 Training Award.
Application reviewers will be looking for the following:
- Is there clear commitment of the Primary Mentor to ensure that the remaining salary support (not provided by Harvard Catalyst) will come from a non-federal source through the duration of the K12 Training Award?
- Is there a clear commitment and plan on the part of the mentor to advance the mentee’s research project, research training and research career?
- Are there adequate plans for monitoring and evaluating the candidate’s research and career development progress?
- Are the Primary Mentor’s research qualifications in the area of the proposed research appropriate?
- Does the Primary Mentor adequately address the candidate’s potential and their strengths?
The Primary Mentor will also be asked to upload a Biographical Sketch (also referred to as a “biosketch”) utilizing the most recent NIH format.
Please save a PDF copy of your completed files as follows: LastName_1M_Letter and LastName_Biosketch.
If desired, applicants may include a letter from a Secondary Mentor. If so, the Secondary Mentor identified in the “Endorsement Information” section of the application will be asked to submit a signed letter of recommendation on institutional letterhead and in PDF format. The review criteria for this letter are the same as those for the Primary Mentor.
The Secondary Mentor will also be asked to upload a Biographical Sketch (also referred to as a “biosketch”) utilizing the most recent NIH format.
Please save a PDF copy of your completed files as follows: LastName_2M_Letter and LastName_Biosketch.
Completed applications must be submitted by 6:00pm ET on Friday, May 24, 2024. Endorsement materials, which include online attestations from Division Chiefs / Department Chairs as well as letters from Primary / Secondary Mentors, must be submitted by 6:00pm ET on Friday, June 14, 2024.
If you require any assistance or accommodations with your application preparation and submission, please e-mail KL2Application@catalyst.harvard.edu and the team will be glad to assist you.
Completed applications submitted by 6:00pm EST on May 24, 2024 with all required endorsements submitted by 6:00pm EST on June 14, 2024, will be assigned reviewers.
The review process will occur from mid-June through the end of July. Funding decisions will be issued in the early to middle part of August 2024.
Please note that there will be no interviews for this application cycle.
All applicants will be notified of funding decisions via email, which will be the primary mode of communication.
FAQs
Salary caps are determined by the NIH. The cap for this award is 160K.
No budget or budget justification is required.
Graphics and citations are not counted against the application’s overall word count. We do ask, however, that you consider the reviewers’ time when writing your application. Please keep all graphics, citations, etc. to a minimum. Circumventing the word limit by using lengthy figure legends and similar strategies is highly discouraged.
This is a firm rule that cannot be waived. The K12 Training Award is a junior investigator grant. The three-year limit will include appointments at all previous and current institutions. If the third year of your first faculty appointment ends prior to July 1, 2024, your application will not be considered.
When completing your Statement of Intent (SOI), you may include the following details:
Period of Performance: 2 years (10/1/2024 through 9/30/2026)
Prime Site: Harvard Medical School (HMS)
Prime PI: Karen K. Miller, MD
Direct Cost Total per Year:
- 75% of Salary Base up to the NIH Cap of $160,000 (i.e., 75% of up to $160,000, a maximum of $120,000 per year)
- Applicable Fringe Benefits
- Indirect costs (or F&A) of 8%
- $10,000 in Research Support